4. The Code of Silence
by Denise Felt
Summary: Cmdr. Straker faces danger when he goes home to confront his father.


4. The Code of Silence  
  
(A UFO Story)  
  
written by Denise Felt  
  
copyright 2001  
  
ACT I  
  
"Where is Commander Straker?"  
  
Miss Eeland noted the tightness of Nina Barry's lips and wondered how much trouble her boss was in. "He's in Soundstage B," she answered.  
  
Nina tapped a rolled document against her hand and thought. Then she looked back at the secretary and said, "Well, he wanted this report today. Will he be coming back to the office?"  
  
"He's not planning on it."  
  
"Okay. I'll take it to him." Nina thanked Miss Eeland and left, heading for Soundstage B. She doubted if she'd be able to find the commander alone, as she had hoped to do. She had a bone to pick with him and didn't want an audience. Since he was flying to the States this afternoon, she knew she had to talk to him now. Who knew when he'd be back, and Nina wanted this settled. His actions of late had not made much sense to her, but she knew that he was often aware of things that she knew nothing about; so she always tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. But what he had done concerning this current situation was cruel and so unlike him that she had to know, simply had to know the truth. Although she doubted that even he could explain it to her satisfaction. It just made no sense.  
  
She was in luck. When she found him, he was standing by himself off to the side while actors rehearsed for a show. She saw with dismay that it was that horrible science fiction series that had started at the studio. She frowned at the actor dressed up as an alien who was stalking a young girl through a park. How could Straker possibly countenance such a thing?  
  
But he was smiling when she walked up to him. "Hello, Nina," he said and waved a hand at the scene. "What do you think?"  
  
He so obviously wanted her approval that she was tempted to lie. But she knew how much he hated prevarication. "I think it's disgusting," she told him bluntly.  
  
He only grinned at her.  
  
Nina handed him the report she carried. "You wanted this today," she said.  
  
Straker leafed through the document. It was the statistics on how many UFOs their radar had lost track of in the past year. "Thanks, Nina," he said. "I appreciate you getting this to me so quickly."  
  
She nodded and turned to watch the actors playing the scene over again.  
  
The commander noted her tight lips and tense demeanor and sighed. "What is it, Nina?" he asked. "What have I done to upset you? Besides the series, I mean."  
  
She let him see the anger that had been burning her insides for several days. "You know what a rockaholic I am," she said as she took something from her purse.  
  
Straker frowned. "Of course." He knew quite well that the only complaint anyone had ever lodged against Nina in all her years at Moonbase had been that her music was always too loud.  
  
She handed him a CD. "I picked this up last week."  
  
His heart sank when he looked at the CD. It was Chopped Liver's album. Sheila's grinning face mocked him from the cover. He looked back at Nina, finally understanding her anger. "I'm sorry, Nina," he said.  
  
She was furious that he hadn't even tried to deny that he knew. "I asked Gay about it," she told him harshly, "and all she did was burst into tears and say she couldn't talk about it. Commander Straker's orders, she said."  
  
He closed his eyes for a moment. "I know it's hard for Gay," he said. "It hasn't been easy on any of us."  
  
"I'd just like to know why," Nina said, anger vibrating in her voice, "no one's been told that Sheila's alive. Why she hasn't been brought back and reinstated. Gay only found out about her by accident. Would you even have told her if she hadn't seen her for herself?"  
  
His look was bleak. "It's a long story, Nina. But it would do us no good to bring her back to SHADO. She returned to Earth about four years ago, crashing a UFO. She remembers nothing about her life before that time, except that she has occasional nightmares." He swallowed. "The Conovers took her in for reasons of their own. Her life is very different now. I decided that it was best for all concerned that she be allowed to live that life in peace."  
  
"Who are you to make that decision?" Nina whispered fiercely. "We're her friends. Gay is family. We cared about her. How could you decide such a thing without asking us what we felt?"  
  
"Nina, think about it for a moment. She was gone for several years. We both know where she was during that time. But none of us know what she was put through, what she had to endure at their hands. It's a miracle that she's even alive. As it stands now, she has no memory of that time. Do you really think I should have brought her back here, exposed her to everything that might be expected to remind her of it? They had her for seven years!"  
  
Nina paled. She didn't know what to say. She hadn't been thinking at all about what Sheila might have had to go through on the aliens' planet, only what her friends had gone through thinking she was dead all these years. Sheila had been such a lively part of SHADO's early days that everyone had been torn apart when she'd been captured. Nina looked at the commander's haunted features and realized suddenly just how hard the decision must have been for him. She sighed. "What will you do to keep it quiet?" she asked finally as he handed back the CD.  
  
He grimaced. "I don't know. Hopefully, not many of our old crew are into hard rock." He slanted her a wry glance. "But the album seems to have really taken off. I have no idea what I'll do if her band is featured on some televised music special or given some award." He gave a shrug. "There's no way to cover every eventuality. But I want you to know that I don't mind if you and Gay want to talk about it between you. Since you both know already, there can't be any harm in it, and Gay probably could use the outlet."  
  
"Okay." She laid a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Ed, that I believed that you would be so cruel. I know better."  
  
"It's all right, Nina. It is cruel, as she has not minded telling me. But there really isn't any other choice, you know."  
  
Nina looked up at him. "You've spoken to Sheila about it?"  
  
He nodded. "Yes. I think she finally understands why I won't tell her anything. But it doesn't make her very happy. You remember how she was, Nina. Any suggestion of a mystery, and she had to figure out all the angles. It's what made her so good with computers. She hasn't changed any. She's still trying to search out every corner of the box she's in."  
  
Nina thought about the care that Commander Straker had for everyone at SHADO, especially the women, and could imagine how difficult this situation must be for him to constantly have to deal with. Her hand squeezed his arm before releasing it. "How can you stand it?"  
  
His smile was twisted. "Some days are better than others."  
  
"Hey, Ed!" Mark Rogers walked over from where he'd been talking to the director. "Look at this." He handed Straker a script and smiled at Nina. "Hi, there," the big man said.  
  
"Mark, this is Nina Barry, an old friend of mine," Straker said. "Nina, Mark Rogers, another old friend."  
  
Rogers laughed as he shook her hand. "Go easy on the old, old friend," he told Straker.  
  
Ed just smiled. He was looking over the script with interest. It was an episode based on Laura Simmons' alien encounter when she was sixteen. "This is great, Buck. Your team has done wonderful work with this."  
  
Rogers grinned. "Thanks. I thought it looked pretty good myself. Keep that copy. Let me know when you've had a chance to read through it all if you think we should change anything."  
  
"I will." Straker rolled the script outside the other document he carried. "Thanks."  
  
Mark turned to Nina. "Are you one of Ed's actresses?"  
  
She blushed a bit under his admiring gaze, but answered steadily enough. "No. I'm not an actress."  
  
Rogers frowned at Straker. "Hey, Iceman. Why not?"  
  
"Because that's not her area of expertise, Buck," Straker answered calmly. "I can't wait to see this episode on film." He held up the rolled script with a smile.  
  
Buck grinned back at him. "It will do her proud, I think." He shook his head. "If only she'd lived to see all this. She'd have loved every minute of it."  
  
"Yes, she would have," his friend agreed. "Who will you get to play her?"  
  
Rogers shrugged. "I have no idea. Do you know anybody who'd do her justice?"  
  
Straker thought a moment. "Not offhand. But I'll look into it for you, Mark, and see what I can come up with."  
  
"Great." Rogers noticed the CD in Nina's hand and asked her, "You like those guys?"  
  
She smiled, sliding a glance at her boss as she answered. "Yes. They're really good."  
  
Rogers gestured to a small group of people talking at a table near the set. "Max there plays that album nonstop for us. Hey, Iceman. He was wondering if we could change the theme music for the show to one of the songs on this album. It's a real kicker of a tune called Through the Never. What do you think?"  
  
Straker lifted a brow at him. "I don't think so, Mark. It's too late to change something like that now." He knew the album by heart, but asked, "What's the song about?"  
  
"Oh, man. It's cool. It talks about how Earth is travelling through the universe all by itself and we're all looking for answers to our questions. Totally radical."  
  
Nina nodded, understanding now what some of those lyrics must be referring to. "It is a great song."  
  
Rogers grinned at her.  
  
Straker gave her a stern look and told Mark, "I doubt if I can do anything about the theme music, but perhaps we could work the song in somewhere else. Maybe background music for a scene or something. Talk to the director."  
  
"Okay, Iceman. You're the boss." Rogers winked at Nina.  
  
Ed shook his head at him, then noticed the time on his watch. "Look, Buck. I've got to go, but I will look over the script and get back to you as soon as possible." He patted Nina's shoulder. "Take care of yourself, Nina."  
  
She smiled at him. "You too. And have a good flight."  
  
His smile twisted, knowing that she was really saying, have an uneventful flight. "I'll try."  
  
As he left the soundstage, he heard Nina ask Buck, "Why do you call him Iceman?"  
  
Straker smiled to himself.  
  
* * *  
  
"Sorry, Colonel," Straker said to Virginia after they'd been in the air for over an hour, "I had a lot of paperwork to catch up on." He closed up his briefcase.  
  
She smiled slightly, saying, "That's what happens when you take off for the bottom of the ocean for a week."  
  
He chuckled. "It did seem a bit like a vacation, you know. The city is truly wonderful. And I don't think I've ever slept so well in my life."  
  
"What's their secret?"  
  
Straker shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe it's the beds. They're very soft. Maybe I should try getting a new mattress set."  
  
She laughed. "It's worth a try. You certainly looked a bit more rested when you got back. It's how I knew that everything had gone well."  
  
He lifted a brow. "You couldn't tell from Peter's attitude toward Callista?"  
  
"That, too." She smiled. "The wedding was a lot of fun. Who'd have thought they could get everything arranged so quickly?"  
  
"Have you ever met Mrs. Carlin?" Straker asked with a grin. "She refused to allow them to live together until they were properly married. Things moved very quickly after she made that announcement."  
  
Virginia chuckled. "I really loved Callista's dress. It was very sweet of you to get Florian to design it for her. His creations are always so lovely."  
  
He nodded. "I kept remembering the dress he'd designed for that mermaid picture we did last year. Do you recall it?" At her nod, he continued. "I knew if anyone could design something she'd like, it would be him."  
  
She noticed that he mentioned nothing about cost. It was typical of him that he didn't concern himself with details like that when he gave a gift. "Was it Peter's idea to have you walk her down the aisle?"  
  
He flushed slightly. "Actually, I think it was hers. She told me I reminded her of her father." He shook his head slowly. "I think she meant it for a compliment, since her father is a wonderful man. But he's quite a bit older than I am." He was silent for a moment, then asked pensively, "Do I seem old to you?"  
  
Virginia told him, "I'm sure Callista meant it as a compliment. But you may seem old to her, simply because you're almost twice her age. She's in her early twenties, isn't she?"  
  
"I'm not certain, since Maloran years are somewhat different than ours. But I think that's about right."  
  
Her smile was wistful. "It's hard to imagine Peter married. And just a few months ago, Paul was making noises about getting married. We really wouldn't want to get something started, you know. It could reach epidemic proportions."  
  
Straker said, "I think they'll be happy. The biggest question will be if she can handle living in England. It's a far cry from New Malora. But she has been in good spirits so far. And her mother-in-law lives close by. They seem to have really hit it off. Peter's a very lucky man."  
  
Virginia knew that Straker's own marriage had been rocky, not from anything he had ever said, but because she made it her business to find out these things. She wondered how it had been for him to be a part of Peter's wedding ceremony, and if it had reminded him of his own wedding day. But she wouldn't ask. Instead, she said, "I just can't believe they rushed everything so much. I mean, they had hardly met, and they were already talking about babies and wedding veils the day you came back from the underwater city."  
  
Straker looked at her. "Don't you believe in love at first sight, Colonel?"  
  
Virginia snorted. "No, of course not. You can't tell if someone is right for you with a single look. That sort of thing takes time. Getting to know each other, finding out whether you're compatible, things like that."  
  
His smile was ironic. "I used to feel that way once, a long time ago. It's funny how time changes your outlook on so many things. Don't you think?"  
  
"If you're saying I should believe in finding Prince Charming, you're either pulling my leg or you've lost your mind. Or maybe you've just watched too many of those movies you make."  
  
He chuckled. "We're all skeptics until it happens to us, Colonel. Don't be so sure that you understand how it works. Life has a way of making us occasionally eat our words."  
  
She wanted very badly to ask who he'd fallen in love at first sight with, but she was pretty sure she knew already who it was. And it still hurt to remember how close they had come to having Laura Simmons at SHADO. Virginia had never stopped feeling guilty about her death. If she'd insisted that Commander Straker follow standard procedure, maybe Laura might have lived. There was no way to be certain, but she could never quite shake that bit of doubt. She was aware that Straker would never forgive himself for his breach of protocol. But they had all assumed that Laura Simmons was virtually indestructible. After all, hadn't she survived that horrible B1 crash? But in the end, she had been very human. And dead.  
  
Virginia knew that out of all her lovers, the only man she personally had ever really loved had been the one she had never slept with. He hadn't even technically been a lover, except in the sense that she cared for him a great deal. His feelings had always been very much in doubt.  
  
She watched as he sipped his coffee, admiring afresh that jawline, those beautiful hands. He had a slender beauty that reminded her of a painting she had once seen as a girl. It had been a representation of a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and she had never forgotten the image of Oberon, King of the Fairies. When she had first come to SHADO ten years ago, it had taken her weeks to realize why her commander seemed so familiar to her.  
  
She sighed. It irritated her no end that he insisted on calling her by her title rather than her name. She wouldn't have minded it so much if he treated everyone else that way, but she was quite aware that several of the women at SHADO had the privilege of being called by their first names by their gorgeous commander. But not her.  
  
Only once had she ever heard him call her by her first name. A few years ago, she'd been struck down by a teenage boy in a car when she left the grocer's. She'd ended up in the hospital with a broken arm, furious that she was missing work. Commander Straker had rushed into her hospital room, noticeably distressed, and asked her if she was alright. He'd called her Virginia, and she had been glad that she was already lying down, because her name on his lips had melted every bone in her body.  
  
She'd found out later that the reason he'd been so upset about her accident was because his son had died not two months before after being hit by a car. She'd never told Alec that his diversion of the transporter that day had made it impossible for the commander to get the needed drugs to his son in time to save his life. She doubted very much if Straker had told him either. But she wasn't the information queen for nothing, and she had found out most of the details. She'd even gone to the boy's grave once. She had left after staring at the tombstone for several minutes, angrier than she could remember ever being before at a woman she had never met. When Alec called Straker's exwife a first class bitch, he wasn't exaggerating.  
  
* * *  
  
"What is your brother like?" Virginia asked as they walked toward the main doors of AquaTech after parking the car.  
  
Straker grinned. "Chris is the clown of the family. But don't let that fool you into thinking that he's never serious. His work means a great deal to him. He just likes to play as hard as he works."  
  
"Unlike his brother," she said dryly, "who doesn't know the meaning of any word but work."  
  
He shrugged. "One of my jobs could be considered play at times. I just wish so many of the scripts didn't call for on location shoots. It's hard to get that much time away from my other, more serious duties."  
  
She frowned. "I guess it never really occurred to me before that you work two full time jobs."  
  
He shook his head at her. "That's because you're never in the studio. You miss out on all the fun."  
  
She rolled her eyes.  
  
They took the elevator up to the fifth floor, where the executive offices were. As they got off the elevator, they were just in time to see Christopher Straker walk past them leading a naked young woman down the hall. She had obviously been crying and was carrying her dress in front of her. Chris pushed her into the ladies' room with a curt, "Get dressed," and headed back to his office. He saw his brother standing by the elevators and groaned.  
  
"Damn it, Ed," he said, running a distracted hand through his hair, "your timing needs some work!"  
  
  
  
ACT II  
  
"Should we go out and come back in again?" Ed asked his brother.  
  
"Yeah, right," Chris said, heading for his office. Then he turned back. "We?" He seemed to notice Virginia's presence for the first time, and the dull flush that had been in his cheeks paled to white. He stared at her for a long moment, then turned to his brother with an accusatory glance.  
  
Ed lifted a brow in a silent question.  
  
Chris ran his hand through his hair again and ushered them into his outer office. He passed the empty secretary's desk, taking them on through to his office. He waved them to a seat and picked up the phone on his desk. "Miss Peabody, can you send someone up from the typing pool for the rest of the afternoon? No, Miss Welch is no longer employed here. You may want to come up and assist her in clearing out her desk. Yes. Now. Thank you." He hung up the phone and turned to Ed.  
  
"You know, I'd expect things like this to happen at your film studio. After all, everyone knows actors and producers live wild lives. But you've had your secretary forever, haven't you?"  
  
Ed grinned. "About that long."  
  
Chris shook his head. "Hell, I think the longest I've kept one is thirteen months, and that was only because she was selling secrets to a foreign power. I don't get it. Is it me?"  
  
His brother said unsympathetically, "Of course, it's you, Chris. You're supposed to be an old married man, and then these girls wouldn't get ideas about seducing their boss and marrying into the big time."  
  
Chris scowled at him. "You're not married either, and your secretary leaves you alone."  
  
"Yes, but she bullies me."  
  
Chris rolled his eyes. "I'd like to see the day."  
  
Ed just grinned. "It's your face, Chris. It tells everyone what a pushover you are."  
  
"Oh, thanks." Chris cocked his head toward Virginia. "Are you going to introduce me? I assume this is the engineer you said you were bringing."  
  
Straker sat up in his seat and said, "I'm sorry. Chris, this is Virginia Lake, SHADO's chief engineer. Virginia, my brother, Christopher Straker, CEO of AquaTech and your temporary boss for the next few weeks."  
  
Oddly enough, her commander's use of her first name didn't elicit the same response it had before, perhaps because she was still trying to recover from meeting his brother. Although the brothers looked somewhat similar, she couldn't imagine two men who were more opposite in temperament. There was a twinkle lurking at the back of Chris Straker's eyes that made her want to giggle for no known reason. He'd obviously had a rough time of things just before they got there, but here he was, joking with his brother as if nothing at all had occurred. She was looking forward to meeting their father, because she couldn't help wondering if that unflappability was a family trait.  
  
Chris said, "I don't know if I could be considered your boss, Virginia. You'll be supervising the research team that will be looking into upgrading your fleet of submarines. We can incorporate some of the same technology we used in Voyager for your subs, but we'll need your knowledge of the present systems in order to integrate them fully."  
  
She nodded. "I've brought the schematics with me. I'm looking forward to seeing some of that technology. I was very impressed with the submersible's abilities."  
  
"Well, we could have showed you firsthand, if my little brother hadn't flooded the damn thing bringing it back." He cast Ed a dry glance.  
  
Straker chuckled.  
  
Virginia turned to her boss. "You flooded it?" She hadn't heard that little piece of news. Paul had only said that they'd had trouble getting it back to Skydiver 3. He hadn't gone into details.  
  
Obviously, she should have asked more questions.  
  
Commander Straker spread his hands. "I was hoping that the small present I brought back for you would help you forget that little detail, Chris."  
  
"Oh, man," his brother said in awe, "have we been having a time with that baby." He grinned at Ed. "Wait till you see what that puppy can do." Chris turned to Virginia. "Would you like to meet the research team?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
He led them out of the office. The young woman they had seen earlier was fully clothed again and sullenly putting items into a small bag while a tall thin woman kept watch. Neither woman looked up as they left the outer office.  
  
* * *  
  
Chris introduced Virginia to his team. They were already acquainted with his brother, because of the Voyager project. He still wondered how Ed had gotten the okay to upgrade the Skydivers. From all that he'd been able to gather from things his brother had said, that general of his was a skinflint. Chris would have been furious at someone else holding the purse strings on any important project he had in mind. He couldn't imagine how his little brother dealt with that kind of thing on a constant basis.  
  
Hikaru was showing Virginia the instrument panel for Voyager. Kira stood nearby and answered an occasional question. But it was Riker that Chris was watching. He was definitely crowding their new supervisor. It made Chris want to go stand between them, but he knew he had no right. He glanced at Ed to see how he was taking it, but his brother seemed oblivious. He was chatting with Paris about the Maloran device he'd brought back for them.  
  
Chris sighed, wondering how close his brother was to his chief engineer. There had seemed to be a definite bond between them, but just how intimate that bond was he couldn't tell yet. It bothered him, but somehow he didn't feel like asking Ed outright if they were lovers. He wasn't sure he could bear to hear it if the answer was yes. And he was rather afraid that the answer was yes. Ed had told him that she'd worked for him for ten years, and Chris didn't believe that any red-blooded male could resist such an incredible woman for ten years. Or ten minutes, for that matter.  
  
He finally walked over and casually ousted Bill Riker from his position next to Virginia. She gave him a smile as he joined them that warmed his heart. As much as I love you, little brother, Chris thought fiercely, I may just have to fight you for this one.  
  
* * *  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Straker," Virginia said as she shook hands with her commander's father.  
  
He smiled slightly and bowed over her hand, showing her quite clearly where his sons had gotten their charm. "Call me Andrew, please. We are honored to have you here, my dear," he said. "Ed so seldom brings his friends home." He shot a censorious glance at his son.  
  
Virginia felt Straker stiffen beside her and said smoothly, "Yes, I have the same problem when I go home. It's tough living so far away from my dad."  
  
"Your father lives in the States, Virginia?" he asked.  
  
"Yes. In the Allegheny Mountains."  
  
"Really?" Mr. Straker replied. "Christopher visits that region of the Appalachians often. You should ask him if he knows the area."  
  
She smiled. "I will. Thanks."  
  
The housekeeper brought them coffee and macaroons on a platter.  
  
Straker introduced Virginia to her, adding, "Sandy and her husband Carl keep us all in line."  
  
Sandy waved his comment away with a thin hand. "Now, Eddie. You know that no one could ever keep you in line." She turned to Virginia with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, miss."  
  
Virginia grinned at her boss. So he had been a hellion, had he? Now that was interesting. She wondered what other secrets she might find out about him on this trip.  
  
* * *  
  
Sandy kneaded the dough with expert hands. She was making Eddie's favorite meal for dinner tonight to celebrate his visit. Practically the only food he'd ever asked for seconds of was her chicken and dumplings. She was determined that he would ask tonight.  
  
She was happy that he'd brought a lovely lady with him on this trip. And she wondered what Carl would think of her. Maybe Eddie and this Virginia were destined to be together, she mused. Carl would know. He came from a long line of witches. One of his ancestors had burned at the stake in Salem when they'd found out that she couldn't drown.  
  
She covered the dough with a towel and began pulling apart the chicken that had been cooling on the table. It would be nice if Eddie got married. He needed a wife, if only so that he wasn't by himself so much. She'd felt that way when he'd gotten married the first time, although Carl had said the marriage wouldn't last. Well, he'd been right as always, but Sandy still felt that Eddie had been better off with a wife than without one. Maybe this girl would make him happy. She seemed a nice sort.  
  
He was much too serious a boy to be left on his own.  
  
She remembered how Katherine had despaired of him growing up. Eddie never played much with the other boys. He'd always preferred going off somewhere on his own. Sandy and his mother had tried several different schemes to get him involved with friends, but none of them had ever worked. He'd stubbornly kept to himself.  
  
But then, he'd been a difficult child from the beginning. She sighed, recalling those long ago nights when she and Katherine had taken turns rocking him to sleep. He had cried every time they'd tried to put him down. And if they dared stop humming a lullaby...! Well, he'd let out a wail that would wake up his father. And Mister Andrew was never as patient with him as his mother had been. He'd told his wife time and time again to let the boy cry himself to sleep. He'd get over it and adjust, he said, just as his brother had. But Katherine had never been able to bear Eddie's tears. So every night would find her in the rocking chair, crooning a soft lullaby to her little blond haired baby. And every night when she'd drifted off, too tired to keep up her rocking, Sandy had taken over for her.  
  
She wondered sometimes if she didn't love him more simply because he had always needed her so much.  
  
  
  
  
  
ACT III  
  
Straker checked in with Alec Freeman, then went upstairs to his old bedroom to get unpacked. The room still held many memories for him, although the passing years had removed most of his personal belongings. An old print of King Arthur still hung on the wall beside the bed, though. He smiled sadly at this reminder of his childhood ideals.  
  
His suitcase bumped against something as he put it into the closet, and he went down on his hands and knees to see what was in the way. He pulled out an old radio that had been hiding back in the corner. It was hideously ugly, a sickly blue with yellow trim, and he grinned at the sight of it.  
  
Ed put it on the bedside table, amazed at the memories that it conjured. His mother had always played that radio for him when she put him to bed at night. He'd been lulled to sleep every night by the classical music she'd always turned to on the dial. He frowned, trying to remember when he had stopped listening to the radio at bedtime.  
  
Oh, yes. He'd been eight. His mother had badgered him into going to a sleepover at a school friend's house. He'd gone, and had even enjoyed the party. But when it had been time for bed, he had asked the boy's mother if he could leave the radio playing through the night. She hadn't minded, but the other boys had laughed at him, calling him a sissy. Straker squirmed, embarrassed even now by the memory of the name-calling.  
  
When he had returned home the following morning, he'd unplugged the radio and put it at the back of the closet. No one would call him a sissy again.  
  
He leaned over and turned on the radio, tuning the dial until the music came in clearly. As he settled back against the pillows, he realized with a shock that he had never slept a full night since that day when he was eight years old. He frowned, considering what that might mean. The only other time he'd slept peacefully had been during his visit to New Malora. His lips tightened as he understood finally that it had not been the beds there that had made him sleep so well. It had been the dynamo. He had needed its comforting hum in order to relax enough to sleep deeply.  
  
So. He knew the truth at last. He hadn't been born on Earth. Or at least, not on the surface. His body remembered that quiet hum and had needed its presence in order to feel secure. He sighed, knowing now why his family home had always seemed so wrong to him. Compared to Maloran architecture, this rambling house was hideous: far too quiet, the rooms too square, and the walls without a rainbow of light.  
  
* * *  
  
"That's some trick."  
  
Chris pushed his hair out of his eyes and stared. Virginia stood on the shoreline, the moon bathing her in its ethereal glow. She might have been Titania, Queen of the Fairies, out for a late night stroll. He almost expected to see wings trailing behind her. The look on her face made him realize how long he'd been underwater. "Hi," he said, offering a smile.  
  
She lifted a brow at him. "I didn't even know that I wasn't alone until you came up out of the water." She cast a glance at the calm surface of the bay. "What's the deal?"  
  
He grinned. "I'm a fish," he said simply.  
  
Virginia bit back a smile. "Come on," she said, "the truth."  
  
Chris moved closer to her, noticing her gaze moving appreciatively over his wet chest and arms. "Seriously," he murmured. Those beautiful grey eyes were making him think all sorts of crazy thoughts. Someone really ought to tell her not to look at a man that way.  
  
She drew a breath as he stopped in front of her. She could smell the ocean on him, and it was making her heart race. No man had ever affected her to this degree, and she didn't have to think hard to know that she didn't like it. She was used to being the one in control in her relationships with the opposite sex. She frowned at him. "Do you mind?" she said, referring to his nearness in what she hoped was an ironic tone.  
  
"Not at all," he drawled, drawing her into his arms and kissing her breathless.  
  
* * *  
  
Straker admitted to himself that all the music in the world wouldn't make his sleep peaceful tonight. He sat on one of the loungers on the back deck and stared at the moon, hating the need that he could not seem to conquer. He couldn't remember it being this bad years ago, when he had first met Sheila. He recalled how hard it had been for him to see her every day, to keep his distance when he'd wanted nothing more than to grab hold of her and never let go. But he couldn't remember it being this excruciating. He missed her so much.  
  
If it had been a need for sex alone, he might have sunk his principles enough to take a lover. He was aware that Virginia had been open to such a suggestion for years, but they really were so different in temperament. He had always been afraid that she would chew him up into little pieces and spit him out. And he had to be able to continue working with her afterward. In the end, he'd needed her far more as the wonderful assistant that she was than as a lover. So he'd always been careful to keep a proper distance between them. However, she might still be willing. If sex was what he needed.  
  
But it wasn't.  
  
He needed Sheila's smile, her laugh, the sexy way she tilted her head when she looked at him. He needed to run his fingers through her beautiful hair and touch the delicate skin of her cheek. He needed her.  
  
And he couldn't have her.  
  
He stifled a groan. Somehow all his good intentions seemed completely stupid tonight. He was glad that he was an ocean away from her with this fire raging through his blood. He had no doubt that he'd be at her doorstep now if he were still in England. Just last week, he had driven past the road that led to her house and had only refrained from turning down it because of the fear that she would slap his face if he knocked on her door.  
  
He'd been relieved to make this trip to Boston, hoping that some distance might help him regain his perspective. But here he was, pitifully incapable of handling what she made him feel. He remembered that she had once told him he had the stronger will. She'd accused him of being able to survive the constant daily contact with her at HQ better than she could because his will was like iron. He sighed deeply, wondering where that iron will had gone tonight. He was concerned that it might be gone for good.  
  
He turned from contemplating the moon and saw Chris walking toward him from the beach. He'd obviously been swimming. Even from this distance, Ed could see that he was in trunks and dripping wet.  
  
Chris smiled at his younger brother as he came up on deck. "Hey, Ed. It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"  
  
Straker put his hands behind his head. "Is it?" he asked cryptically.  
  
Chris' smile widened. "I think your engineer may have a few questions for you." At Ed's inquiring look, he explained. "She saw me come up after being underwater for a while."  
  
Straker rubbed a hand across his eyes. "Thanks, Chris. You're a great help."  
  
His brother chuckled. "Well, I wasn't sure what you wanted me to say. So I figured I'd let you explain."  
  
"Remind me to do you a favor sometime," Ed said dryly. He looked at his brother in silence for a moment. "Chris, how long have you known that you could breathe underwater?"  
  
"Always, I think. At least, I don't remember a time when I first did it. Why? Wasn't it that way with you?"  
  
"No, it wasn't," his younger brother said grimly. "I found out the hard way just a few months ago."  
  
"Really?" Chris was honestly surprised.  
  
"Did you ever wonder what it meant?" Ed asked him.  
  
"Not really," Chris said with a shrug. "I was a teen before I realized that other kids couldn't do what came so naturally to me. I guess I considered it a special gift or something."  
  
"You never asked Dad about it?"  
  
"Are you kidding?" Chris looked at him with lifted brows. "Ask Dad something? Yeah, right. Only if I didn't want an answer."  
  
Ed grinned, glad that he wasn't the only son who found their father's silence exasperating. "He has to know the reason, Chris."  
  
His brother nodded. "I realize that, little brother. But just how do you think we can get him to spill the truth to us? The iron maiden, maybe? Or the rack? That one was always my personal favorite."  
  
Straker shook his head. "I don't know. But I for one need to get to the bottom of this. I'm tired of his damned code of silence. Especially now, after meeting the Malorans. Have you considered that we might be of their race?"  
  
"Of course," Chris said, "but you told me that none of them have ever left the underwater city. How could we have gotten here in Boston if we're like them?"  
  
"I don't know. I don't doubt their word about no one having left the city. They're such xenophobes that I'd be surprised if anyone had left. But there has to be an answer." He looked at Chris grimly. "It's up to us to get Dad to talk about it."  
  
Chris only crossed his arms and shook his head. "Yeah, right."  
  
* * *  
  
Virginia had coffee set out when Straker walked across the grass and onto the deck the following afternoon. He still looked a bit grim, and she realized that he was still angry at his father. They'd had words after lunch, and although she hadn't heard anything they'd said, their tone of voice had carried very clearly through the closed study door. Her normally unflappable boss had stormed out of the house in a towering rage. Only Chris' headshake had stopped her from going after him. She didn't know where he had gone off to, but it had obviously not been a long enough walk to completely calm him down. She poured his coffee in silence and handed it to him.  
  
"Thank you." Instead of sitting down in the other lounger, Straker went to stand against the railing, looking out over the bay. After several moments, he looked back at her. "I'm sorry that you had to witness that scene."  
  
She lifted a brow over her coffee cup. "I've seen you in a rage before," she reminded him.  
  
He had the grace to grimace. "Perhaps. But you're a guest here. You shouldn't have to be subjected to that."  
  
"Actually, it was kind of nice to have you yelling at someone else for a change."  
  
He chuckled, realizing that she hadn't been as unnerved by his display of temper as he'd thought she might be. "Am I so hard on you, Virginia?"  
  
Not when you call me by my first name, she wanted to say. "No. You usually have a very good reason for your anger."  
  
He looked back out at the bay for a time. Then he said softly, "Sometimes I almost hate him."  
  
She stood up and came to him, putting a hand on his arm. "I don't know why you'd feel that way. You're so much alike."  
  
He whirled on her. "I'm nothing like him! I could never treat anyone with the callousness that he treats people."  
  
She held her ground with an effort. "Sometimes the decisions you make seem callous to others. But those who understand know better."  
  
His gaze was troubled. All of a sudden, he remembered Sheila's words in his office. I wish I could hate you for what you're doing. Was he just like his father? Did he use silence as a weapon, waving it in front of him like a scythe to keep the world at bay?  
  
Virginia couldn't bear his stricken look and found herself putting her arm around his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "You're a good man, Ed Straker," she said softly. "And so is your father."  
  
He sighed deeply and returned her hug, needing the comfort even if he couldn't quite believe the words.  
  
Chris shut his eyes against the sight of their embrace and decided against coming out on the deck. He turned from the patio doors and headed for the drink cabinet in the study.  
  
  
  
ACT IV  
  
"How's Paul doing?" Straker asked Alec Freeman when he called that night.  
  
Alec's laugh echoed through the phone line. "He's taking his responsibilities very seriously. He weighs the smallest decision as if the fate of the world rests on it. When I caught him unable to decide whether to have turkey or beef for lunch, I sent him home. I don't think he had ever realized before just what that chair demands of you."  
  
Straker said, "Well, I'm glad he's figuring it out now. He may be called upon to command things someday, and I'd never rest easy if I hadn't made a push to prepare him for it."  
  
His friend assured him, "He's really doing a good job, Ed. Wait till you read the reports. He's handling things--- if not in the same way you would- -- at least in a way that you would approve of."  
  
"Good." Straker took a breath before asking his next question. "Any breakthroughs with the radar?"  
  
Alec's voice hardened. "No. Our team hasn't made any headway yet on improving our tracking capabilities. I know you've got them working around the clock, but damn it, Ed! The aliens' technology is just enough ahead of ours to give them the edge they need. We never do seem to track them for long before they try something different. I'm getting damned tired of always ending back where we started with them!"  
  
"We'll figure it out, Alec," Ed soothed. "And the next time, and the next time, as well. It's unthinkable to consider any other scenario."  
  
Alec gave a heartfelt sigh. "I don't know how you do it. Even you have to run out of patience sometime."  
  
Ed chuckled. "It's not patience, Alec. It's stubbornness. I've got tons of it. Just ask my father."  
  
"And how is your dad?"  
  
Straker sighed. "Fine. The same as always."  
  
His friend heard his tone and grimaced. Evidently, Andrew Straker wasn't any easier for Ed to relate to than he'd ever been. Alec felt for his friend, knowing how hard any trip home was for him. But Ed had wanted to make sure that Virginia got settled into his brother's research group without any problem. That's just the way he was.  
  
"Well, your protégé is finally turning her reports in on time," Alec said dryly.  
  
Straker laughed. "See, Alec? What did I tell you? I'm pleased with the progress Delores is making at HQ. I was wondering if she might enjoy a stint on Moonbase. What do you think?"  
  
Alec wasn't sure he wanted to consider allowing Dee out of his sight. She'd be bound to get into trouble. "I don't know, Ed. I'll think about it and get back to you."  
  
* * *  
  
"What's going on?" Chris asked grimly after calling Virginia into his office.  
  
She looked at him, embarrassed about the situation. This was the last man she would want to have to explain anything like this to. Her chin lifted. "Nothing that I couldn't handle."  
  
He ran an agitated hand through his beautiful blonde hair, and she bit back a sigh. It really wasn't fair that he was so gorgeous. Surely one good looking son per family was enough?  
  
"Riker is being treated for electrical burns, Virginia." The look he gave her reminded her of his brother. "I want to know what happened, and I want to know it now."  
  
She sank into the chair in front of his desk. "He fell into the equipment while we were running a test."  
  
He lifted a brow. "Are you telling me that he forgot every safety precaution?"  
  
"These things happen."  
  
"Not to my teams," he said grimly. He leaned against the front of his desk, stretching his long legs next to her chair. As intimidating tactics went, it was pretty effective, Virginia thought. She looked into those stern eyes and realized that he probably had already guessed the truth. Damn.  
  
"I pushed him," she admitted quietly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
She ran a nervous hand over the arm of her seat. "He made a pass at me."  
  
Chris drew in a sharp breath and let it out very carefully. She looked so miserable that his sense of humor was stirred. "Do you always treat men who make passes at you that way?"  
  
She glanced swiftly up at him, hearing the change in his tone. He was grinning at her. She tightened her lips, refusing to answer his grin with one of her own. "You should know," she said waspishly.  
  
He laughed.  
  
She stood up and went to the windows, looking down over the city. "He wouldn't take no for an answer. I guess it pissed me off, and I shoved a little harder than I realized."  
  
He came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face him. "I guess he just didn't have enough finesse, did he? Well, he'll think twice before trying that stunt again." He put a hand under her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "It's all right, Virginia. He'll be okay except for a bruised ego."  
  
She let out a sigh. She'd been afraid that Bill had been seriously hurt. "I'm sorry, Chris."  
  
"Hey, don't apologize. A girl's got the right to say no, you know. Even in corporate America."  
  
Her grin was a little shaky, but he was glad to see it. He didn't want to think about what he'd have done if she had cried. "Do you want me to transfer him?"  
  
Virginia shook her head. "No. He really is a good technician. I can handle him, really. He just caught me by surprise. I'm afraid my mind was on other things, and I wasn't paying enough attention. It won't happen again."  
  
His fingers played along her jawline. "What were you thinking about, Virginia?" he asked softly.  
  
You, she almost said, but stopped herself in time. His fingers were causing all sorts of small fires to break out throughout her system, making her wonder how he could do so much damage to her self control just by touching her jaw. And what would it be like if he touched her elsewhere? She raised her eyes to his and heard him groan. He lifted an unsteady hand to her hair and said quietly, "I'm going to make a pass, Virginia. Will you throw me out the window?"  
  
Her grin was positively wicked. "You'll just have to take your chances."  
  
* * *  
  
"I miss you."  
  
She turned from her contemplation of the starlit sky and looked at him in the doorway of the balcony. The sounds of loud music and conversation from the party were muted out here, and she had been enjoying the quiet. She tilted her head, considering his words for a moment as though weighing them for any hidden meaning. Then she sighed. "I would have thought that you would be glad to be rid of me, Paul."  
  
Paul Foster shook his head, coming closer to lean against the balcony railing next to her. "No man in his right mind would want to be rid of you, Sheila."  
  
She smiled at the compliment. "Are you angry with me?"  
  
He thought a moment, then shrugged. "Not really. I can understand why you would have preferred him to me. After all, he is the better man." He grinned suddenly, a twinkle lighting his eyes. "Just don't ever tell him I said that, all right?"  
  
Her dark eyes laughed back. "To tell you the truth, I've missed you too, Paul," she admitted. "We had a lot of fun together, didn't we?"  
  
Paul's smile was a little sad. "We had a great time." He laid a hand over hers on the railing, admiring how the moonlight played off her dark hair. "Have you seen him recently?" he asked quietly.  
  
"You mean since he had a security guard escort me off studio property?" She shook her head ruefully. "We agreed that I would stay away." Her lips tightened slightly. "I'm trying to honor that agreement."  
  
"Why? He's wrong, Sheila. You should be together. It's obvious how much you care for each other."  
  
She looked at him. "Paul, the only thing that makes it possible for me to accept his decision is that he is right. He refuses to take the blame for anything I might remember, and I agree with him. He already blames himself for far too much where I'm concerned."  
  
"You could change his mind, you know, if you really wanted to. He couldn't resist you for long. Then you'd have everything."  
  
But she was shaking her head. "No, Paul. I'd lose everything that matters to me."  
  
He was surprised. "How?"  
  
She sighed. "If I seduced him, forced him to allow me into his life, you're right. He wouldn't resist me. He might even marry me."  
  
Paul gave a hand gesture as if to say, Well, then?  
  
Sheila grimaced. "What good would that do me? I'd lose the one thing more important to me than being his wife."  
  
"What?" he asked, uncomprehending.  
  
"His respect. Eventually even his love." She shook her head forlornly at his obvious bewilderment. "You see, Paul. Contrary to popular belief, love really isn't a battlefield. If I made this a war between us, I'd lose, even if I won."  
  
He didn't understand, but realized that she felt very strongly about it. He ran a hand through his hair. "It's not that I want to see you marry him, you know. I'd hate it. But at least you'd be happy." He gazed into her eyes for a long moment. "And you're not happy now, are you?"  
  
She turned and looked back out over the lights of London. "I'll remember my past someday, Paul," she said softly. "And I'll deal with everything that my memories bring back to me." She turned to him with a determined look. "And then nothing will stand between us."  
  
"But that could take years," he said.  
  
Her smile was twisted. "I sincerely hope not. I am working on it, Paul. Maybe it'll take a while, but I will beat it, I promise you."  
  
He thought of some of the things she might remember and went cold. "Sheila...," he began, then realized how resolute she looked. He sighed. "Good luck."  
  
She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."  
  
* * *  
  
"What do you think of my son?" Andrew Straker asked.  
  
Virginia turned from the window of the study where she'd been admiring his two sons as they stood on the deck. "I think he's one of the greatest men I've ever known," she said without hesitation.  
  
He nodded, accepting her statement. "But he takes too much on himself. He can't save the whole world, you know. He's only dooming himself to disappointment."  
  
"Perhaps," she agreed, "but he'd be a much smaller man if he didn't try." She wondered what had happened to Ed's father to make him stop trying. And she wondered if Ed would someday wear that disillusioned expression in his eyes.  
  
Andrew came over and stood at the window as he looked at his sons. "But that's not what I meant when I asked you what you thought of my son."  
  
She eyed him silently.  
  
Andrew grinned at her, gesturing to the men on the deck. "I meant Christopher, not Ed."  
  
Virginia blushed, remembering making love in his office that afternoon. She should have realized that those sharp old eyes betrayed an equally sharp mind. "I'm still trying to sort that out," she said finally.  
  
He frowned. "You don't need to think, girl! He's your mate, for God's sake! What you think doesn't even enter into it."  
  
She said, "Mate? You mean, like my perfect match or something?"  
  
Andrew snorted at her surprise. "Don't tell me you don't believe in that sort of thing! How can you not believe when you've experienced it?"  
  
Good question, she thought. But she wasn't sure what she should think. She kept feeling like that Shakespearean idiot Hermia, whom Puck had bewitched. Except that Chris was more like Puck himself than either of the two Athenian youths Hermia had thought she loved. "It's not that I don't believe," she said finally. "It's something else."  
  
"What?" he barked.  
  
She looked worried. "What if I'm just fickle?"  
  
Andrew considered her words. Then he nodded slowly. "You've loved Ed a long time, haven't you?" he asked quietly.  
  
She nodded, unable to speak.  
  
He sighed, watching his sons. "This is different. Surely you can tell that."  
  
"Yes, but I've thought I was in love many times. What if what I'm feeling now is just as fleeting as all those other times? Ed's the only man I've felt the same way about over the years."  
  
Andrew shook his head at her. "Look, girl. Ask yourself if you could live without any of those other men."  
  
She frowned, considering it. "Of course I could."  
  
He nodded sagely. "Now ask yourself if you could live without Christopher."  
  
Her breath caught in her throat, her knuckles whitening on the curtain at the thought. She looked swiftly at him. He was grinning at her. She smiled finally and leaned over to kiss his weathered cheek. "Thanks."  
  
* * *  
  
"Who was Laura Simmons, Ed?"  
  
Ed looked at his brother in surprise.  
  
Chris grimaced. "I didn't want to ask when you were here after the car crash. It seemed like the wrong time. But she was in the car with you, and it was obvious from your silence that she mattered to you." He shrugged. "I just wondered how much?" And if it affected how you felt for Virginia.  
  
Straker sighed, leaning back on the deck railing before answering. "Laura was very special, Chris. I would have married her if she had lived."  
  
"Was she your mate?"  
  
Ed frowned at the term. "No. She was something entirely different." At his brother's look, he said, "I don't know how to describe her, Chris. A mate is like a complement, the other half of you. She completes you."  
  
Chris thought of Virginia. "Yeah."  
  
"Well, Laura wasn't my other half. She was more like another me. We were so in tune that it was amazing." He shook his head, unable to explain it any better.  
  
"Wow."  
  
Ed grimaced. "Granted, she was a better me. But we thought so much alike. I adored her."  
  
Chris looked at his little brother for a long moment, absorbing what he'd said. And hadn't said.  
  
"Then you've met your mate?"  
  
Ed nodded, his expression abruptly haunted.  
  
"Don't tell me it was Mary, because I won't believe you."  
  
Straker laughed harshly. "No, Mary was a mistake. I knew it almost from the day we married. But I was so sure that I knew everything I needed to know about relationships. Dad had tried to tell me better, but I refused to listen."  
  
Chris said, "I could have told you too, but I wouldn't have dared."  
  
Ed's smile was fleeting. "I can't regret John, though. No matter what else I regret, I can't be sorry that he was born."  
  
Chris sighed. "I wish I could have met him."  
  
"I wish you had too, Chris. I had wanted to bring him to Boston once, but it just wasn't feasible."  
  
"You mean the bitch wouldn't allow it!" Chris corrected angrily.  
  
Straker's glance was stern. "Mary was right not to allow it. The distance was just too great. And I think she was worried that I might not bring him back if I had him for too long."  
  
Chris snorted. "You should have pushed for custody, Ed."  
  
"Don't even go there, Chris," his brother said harshly. "How could I have cared for a young boy? I'm almost never home. Surely you realize what a drain my work makes on my time?"  
  
Chris' grim look lessened a bit. "Still..."  
  
Ed shrugged the subject away, gazing off into the trees. Chris looked at his averted profile and returned to the original topic.  
  
"So, who is your mate, Ed?"  
  
His brother sighed. "A woman I've known for years."  
  
Chris' heart plummeted. Was he referring to Virginia? "Who?" he asked, afraid of the answer.  
  
"No one you'd know."  
  
Chris was so relieved, he closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them again, curious. "Why haven't you married her in all this time?"  
  
Straker ran a hand over his face. "For most of those years, I thought she was dead." At Chris' look of inquiry, he said, "It's a long story."  
  
"What's her name?"  
  
"Sheila."  
  
Chris gasped. "Jesus, Ed! The girl on the bridge!"  
  
Straker frowned at him.  
  
"Remember? That time I came to England to see you? You took me around the studio and showed me everything. You were making a park on one of the backlots, and she was supervising the placement of trees and shrubs."  
  
Ed said, "I'd forgotten. That's right, you did meet her. I'm surprised you still remember her."  
  
"Are you kidding? A man doesn't forget a woman like that. Hell, if you two hadn't been so obviously interested only in each other, I would have asked her for a date."  
  
"And I'd have killed you," his younger brother told him grimly.  
  
Chris grinned. "I always expected to hear that you were divorcing Mary after that, you know. With a beauty like that available, I'd have done the same."  
  
Ed shook his head. "Chris, Mary was pregnant."  
  
"So?" At Ed's frown, Chris shrugged. "I wouldn't have let that stop me."  
  
Straker's lips tightened into a thin line. "That's where we're different then."  
  
Chris was unrepentant. "So, did you have an affair with her?"  
  
"No." His little brother cast him a wry glance. "But I wish I had."  
  
They grinned at each other.  
  
"Am I interrupting?"  
  
Both men turned to see Virginia standing in the doorway. Their grins dissolved instantly.  
  
She looked them over for a moment. It was a shame she hadn't come out a little sooner, she thought. That had certainly been an interesting conversation she'd overheard. She wondered who her commander had been referring to when he'd said he wished he'd had an affair. If he'd been talking about her, she would kick him. It didn't matter that she found herself in love with his brother. Straker had given her too many sleepless nights over the past ten years for her to forgive him if he'd had some stupid honorable reason for keeping her at arms' length.  
  
Straker turned away, looking off into the treeline as if it held great interest to him. Chris just crossed his arms and winked at her. She started to make a smart comment to him, but noticed her boss stiffen suddenly.  
  
Straker turned to them and said, "Quick! Into the house!"  
  
  
  
  
  
ACT V  
  
Straker quickly ushered both of them through the doorway and closed the patio doors, drawing the curtain partway across them. He drew his gun from its holster under his jacket and glanced at Virginia. "Get Dad and Sandy."  
  
She hurried into the study.  
  
"Ed, what is it?" Chris asked.  
  
His brother gestured outside. "Aliens. I saw one of them in the trees. They usually travel in pairs, so we should expect another one to be around somewhere."  
  
Chris frowned, looking toward the trees. He didn't see anything. "Wouldn't you have been alerted if one of their ships had landed?"  
  
Straker was grim. "Not necessarily. We have trouble on and off tracking them on our radar. They might have gotten through without SHADO ever knowing about them."  
  
"Damn." Chris looked at him after a moment. "Maybe I can get a team working on it for you, Ed. We've made some breakthroughs recently in underwater radar that might have applications for your equipment."  
  
Straker smiled at his brother. Chris was first and foremost a scientist. "Thanks, Chris."  
  
"What's going on here?" Andrew yelled as he came out of the study with Virginia. She hurried on into the kitchen for the housekeeper, leaving her boss to deal with him. He gazed at the wicked looking gun in his son's hand, his brows lowering. Chris suddenly ran into the study, returning after a moment with his father's pistol. He checked it to ensure that it was loaded and took up his position by the patio doors again. Andrew glared at them both. "What do you think you're...?" He caught a glimpse of movement out on the lawn and whispered, "My God, what is that?"  
  
Straker ignored him, speaking to Virginia as she returned with Sandy. "Get them both into the basement and stay there. And Colonel, don't come out for anything. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, sir." She urged the two older people down the stairs, looking back for a moment at the two most important men in her life. Straker gave her a reassuring nod, but Chris just grinned. He was enjoying himself hugely, she could tell. She rolled her eyes at him and closed the basement door.  
  
"I see one of them," Chris told his brother. "But where's the other one?"  
  
"I don't know." Straker left his position near the patio doors and went to the front window. The angle of the house made it difficult to see much, but he resisted the urge to go into the morning room for a better view. He didn't want to leave Chris alone in the hall to deal with the one coming up the back way.  
  
Chris let off a shot through the patio glass at the same time that the front door burst open. Straker had a clear field to shoot the alien as he came through the door. The shots sounded loud in the hallway, echoing off the panelled walls. Straker looked at his brother. Chris grinned at him, opening the patio doors to check on the fallen alien on the deck. He was careful to avoid the broken glass.  
  
Straker heard a second shot as he checked for a pulse on the downed alien in the hall. He went swiftly toward the deck only to be brought up short as Chris returned inside. He wasn't grinning any longer. Straker realized that Chris had needed that second shot to finish off the alien. He laid a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder, knowing that there were no words that would make it easier for him. Death was always a more difficult business than most people supposed.  
  
He went to the phone, calling for a squad to come out to the house and clean things up. Chris went down to the basement to let them know it was over. As they came up and stood in the hall, they stared in amazement at the dead alien on the carpet and all the broken glass. Commander Straker told them quietly, "The next few hours are going to be a bit hectic."  
  
* * *  
  
Commander Straker looked at the two vials of liquid that the security team had left with him. Then he looked at his father and the housekeeper as they sat on the sofa in the study. His father returned his gaze steadily, but made no comment. Straker sighed and put the vials in his pocket. He came and sat across from them in one of the deep chairs. Virginia occupied the other one, while Chris perched on the arm. He gave Chris an inquiring look that was answered with a cheeky grin. Straker sighed. He sincerely hoped Chris knew what he was getting into with her.  
  
"Dad," he said, "regulations demand that I administer an amnesia drug to both of you, so that you won't remember the events of this afternoon."  
  
Sandy gasped, but Andrew merely stared at his son in silence.  
  
"However, it is unnecessary to give you the drug. You already know about aliens. And you've been protecting those secrets a lot longer time than our drug can erase."  
  
"Who were those aliens, Ed?" his father asked.  
  
"They've been coming to Earth for over twenty years, Dad. They seem to feel that our planet is up for grabs. SHADO has been trying to discourage them for a long time."  
  
Andrew frowned at him. "And you railed at me for keeping secrets!"  
  
Straker leaned forward. "What could I have done? Told top military secrets to a civilian? If you had just told me what you knew, I might have been able to share some things with you. Instead, we were both left in the dark."  
  
"Let me give you a piece of advice, son," Andrew Straker said. "If you want someone to share their secrets, you should be willing to spill a few of your own first."  
  
His son gave a small smile. "I'll keep that in mind." He turned to the housekeeper. "Are you okay, Sandy?"  
  
"Yes, Eddie," she answered. "Carl was forever saying that you were destined to be someone important. He always knows."  
  
Ed grinned.  
  
Andrew snorted. "Hell, woman. Anyone with eyes could see that!" He turned back to his son. "Is that why you've been badgering me these past months to tell you about our family? Because you thought we were like those aliens you killed?"  
  
Straker shook his head. "No, Dad. I wondered once if maybe we were like them, but I've known for a while that we couldn't be." He took a deep breath and said, "I believe that we are Malorans."  
  
His father's surprise was eloquent. "Where did you hear that name?"  
  
"From the people who live at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. They've been on Earth a long time, nearly five hundred years. I visited them about a month ago, and we set up a treaty with them."  
  
Andrew ran a hand over his face. "So that's where they got to. We never knew, you see." He looked at both of his sons for a moment, then sighed. "I never wanted you boys to know the truth. Your mother thought you should be told when you were older, but I couldn't see the use. We lived here now, and you would adapt better if you thought you were the same as everyone else."  
  
"But that's where you were wrong," Ed said quietly. "I don't know about Chris, but I've always known I was different. It made it harder for me to adapt, because I was always aware of that difference."  
  
Chris spoke up. "I knew I was different, too. But it wasn't something I could do anything about, so I just let it go. What's the use of getting worked up about something you can't change?"  
  
Their father shook his head. "I didn't realize. It never occurred to me that you would notice. Katherine was right. I should have told you. But when she died like that, I just couldn't bring myself to do it."  
  
"Mom wasn't Maloran, was she, Dad?"  
  
Andrew Straker looked at his younger son for a moment. "No. But she was extraordinary just the same."  
  
"That she was, Mister Andrew," agreed the housekeeper.  
  
Ed nodded. "I never doubted it. It would be nice to know the details, though."  
  
Andrew nodded slowly. "I met her when we arrived in the spaceship from Malora. I came up out of the bay with Chris in one hand and you in the other, and there she was. Standing there so calmly as if aliens always came to her beach. She took one look at us and brought us into the house. She gave us a place to sleep and food to eat." He shook his head, his eyes full of the memories. "We stayed. It was as simple as that."  
  
"Were you there?" Chris asked Sandy.  
  
"Well, of course," she replied. "Miss Katherine's parents had both died over the course of the previous year, and she'd been through extensive surgery herself. It was the cancer. It runs through her family pretty bad. The doctors had been forced to remove her female parts, and she'd taken it hard. She was only twenty-six. It didn't matter that she didn't have marriage in mind, you know. It was knowing that she'd never be able to have any children that broke her heart.  
  
"When Mister Andrew brought you boys up out of the water, Miss Katherine thought God was answering her prayers. She looked at you tiny babies and just fell in love. She didn't notice your father until second." The housekeeper smiled slyly at Andrew. "It took him a bit longer to get her attention."  
  
Andrew chuckled. "Now, Sandy," he said.  
  
Ed's grin faded after a moment. "Why did you leave Malora, Dad?"  
  
His father sighed deeply. "I was forced to leave. I was a troublemaker. And Malora had no place for troublemakers."  
  
"What trouble did you cause?" Chris asked.  
  
"I told them that our planet was dying." He sunk his head in his hands and wept.  
  
Ed and Chris exchanged glances, then Ed got up and went to his father, putting an arm around him and letting him get it all out. He realized that his father had probably never allowed himself to mourn his people. He would have shut it all away in a locked room and tried to forget it. Straker thought that perhaps Virginia had been right, after all. He and his father had a lot in common.  
  
Eventually, Andrew sat back and mopped his face with a handkerchief. He patted his son's knee in gratitude and continued his story. "We'd been experiencing wildly fluctuating weather, and since few people lived on the surface, it was a long time before any of us knew there was a problem. Nuclear holocaust had made the surface difficult to survive on centuries before. There were several underwater cities, as well as many underground complexes. No one expected anything to ever change.  
  
"I was regent over one of the underwater cities. Tripura. One of my scientists found out about the problems on the surface and did an extensive study. When he told me his findings, I helped him prepare a report for the council of elders." The eyes he raised to his son were haunted. "But they didn't want to know about it. If Malora was doomed, we'd all have to leave. And that was unthinkable."  
  
"Why?" Virginia asked, shocked at such a foolish attitude.  
  
Straker said, "They were xenophobes."  
  
His father nodded. "Yes. The idea of going somewhere else, mingling with other peoples, was completely abhorrent to us. But I didn't see how we could just stay there and let our planet be destroyed around us. I worked with a team of scientists to find a suitable planet to go to. Earth seemed ideal. It was very close to the conditions we had on Malora and not too far away to reach. I made the proposal to the council. That was when I was banished."  
  
"What about our mother?" Chris asked.  
  
Andrew looked up. "Lenore had stood with me throughout it all. But when I was banished, she could not bear the thought of leaving Malora. She denounced me to the council and was granted immunity. I took you boys and the ship we'd designed to show the council that a mass exodus was possible, and left Malora. It was the hardest thing I've ever done."  
  
"She should have come with you," Chris said harshly.  
  
But Andrew shook his head. "No. You have to understand, Christopher. She loved us very much. But the fear of the unknown was stronger than that love. She insisted that I take you boys with me. Not because she didn't care about you, but because she wanted you to live. She knew Malora was doomed. She just couldn't face leaving her home."  
  
Silence filled the room for several minutes. Then Ed asked, "What about the Malorans who left and came here five hundred years ago?"  
  
His father said, "They were radicals. A whole group of citizens decided to leave Malora and colonize other planets. It was ludicrous. They planned to spread Maloran culture throughout the galaxy. Everyone was unnerved by them. Eventually the council allowed them to go to keep them from upsetting the population any longer. They were never heard from again." He looked at his youngest son for a long moment. "Would it be possible for me to visit them sometime?"  
  
Straker smiled. "I think that could be arranged."  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, Paul," Straker said, leaning back in his command chair, "it seems that SHADO is still standing. You couldn't have done too bad a job being in charge."  
  
Foster grinned. "Just don't take off again for a while, okay? I need a vacation."  
  
Alec slapped him on the back. "Sure, Paul. And we've got just the place for you."  
  
"That's right," Straker agreed. "Picture this, Colonel. Wide open spaces. Charming vistas. Lots of atmosphere."  
  
"Well, not really very much atmosphere, Ed," Alec argued.  
  
Paul rolled his eyes. "Moonbase!"  
  
They laughed at him.  
  
He looked resigned. "When do I leave?"  
  
"Not until tomorrow afternoon, Paul," his commander said. "We wouldn't want you to miss your Friday night party, now would we?"  
  
Foster grinned. "Thanks."  
  
After he left, Alec said to his friend, "He took that rather well, don't you think?"  
  
Straker grinned. "One down, one to go." He pressed a button on his console. "Has Miss Schwarz come on her shift yet?"  
  
Lt. Ford's voice came over the intercom. "Yes, sir. Just a few minutes ago."  
  
"Thank you." Straker sat back in his chair. "Any time now, Alec."  
  
Freeman grinned.  
  
* * *  
  
When Dee got to her station, she found Mitchell at her console. "What's going on?" she asked.  
  
He shrugged. "I don't know, Dee. I got the assignment only an hour ago. Commander Straker's orders."  
  
She frowned. She knew the commander was back from the States. The whole atmosphere around HQ changed whenever he was in the building. She'd worked here for long enough to recognize it, but not long enough yet to identify what the change was. The commander had been very kind to her. She had him to thank for this wonderful job, as well as a myriad of other little things that no one else would have taken the time to do for her. But Straker had. If he had given Mitchell her post, then something must be up. She tried not to worry too much about what it might mean as she headed for his office. He wouldn't can her, would he?  
  
When she entered his office, she saw with dismay that Col. Freeman was there. Oh, boy. Had he told the commander about their latest skirmish?  
  
"Miss Schwarz," Commander Straker said, motioning her to a seat. He had a report open in front of him, and his expression looked grim. "I've been hearing a lot of things about you."  
  
She swallowed. "Yes, sir?"  
  
He read from the report. "You've had a few problems since joining us, it seems. First there was the filing of daily reports. I see here that you have begun keeping better track, however. Good. Then there was the problem with the layout of the consoles in your section. You moved them all around, it seems, without the permission of the duty officer."  
  
"Yes, sir. But..."  
  
He silenced her with a lifted brow and continued. "Then there was the complaint to the cafeteria about the limited menu options. Hmmm. Did the cook really threaten you with a cleaver?"  
  
"Yes, sir," she said miserably. Oh, God. She was going to lose her job, and Alec Freeman was here to witness her humiliation. Life couldn't get worse than this.  
  
"And lastly, but hardly least, is the account of you going outside your area to interrupt a team of specialists working on an important assignment. It seems you altered some of their equipment. Is that true?"  
  
"Yes, sir," she said, very near tears. Why did it seem so bad when he described it? She'd only been trying to help.  
  
"Well, all I can say is congratulations. You've been promoted." He grinned at her look of shock.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
Commander Straker handed her a small wallet, which she took automatically, unable to believe that she wasn't being fired.  
  
"I don't understand, sir."  
  
"Lieutenant," the commander began, causing her to gasp, "we've been watching you closely since you joined our little group. Every little problem you've complained about has been noted. You were right about the reports, but we really can't do anything about them, I'm sorry to say. But we are all indebted to you for taking on the staff of the cafeteria. I think you'll approve of this week's menu. And the new arrangement of your work area has increased efficiency in your section by 48%. A very good idea, Delores."  
  
"Thank you, sir," she said, still in shock. She opened the wallet in her hand and almost dropped it. Lieutenant Delores Schwarz, it read.  
  
"And your final episode." Commander Straker looked at her very seriously. "Do you realize that your manipulation of that piece of equipment enabled us to hook it through our computer systems for a 27% increased radar capability?"  
  
Dee was surprised. "That much?"  
  
Straker smiled at her. "Your problem solving skills have been noticed. We reward such innovation here. I hope we can count on you to continue sharing your ideas with us, Delores."  
  
"Yes, sir," she said, grinning with relief.  
  
"Col. Freeman will outline your new duties to you, Lieutenant. You'll be accompanying Col. Foster to Moonbase for a week. I look forward to hearing your reports. You're dismissed."  
  
She followed Alec from the office in a daze.  
  
  
  
  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
Chris stroked her ash blonde hair, mesmerized by the way the morning sunlight coming through the window played over it. "You will marry me, won't you?"  
  
Virginia opened her eyes. "Is that a proposal?" she asked sleepily.  
  
He chuckled. "Yeah."  
  
She reached up and kissed his chin. "Yeah," she said.  
  
His arms tightened convulsively around her, and she realized that for all his lightness, it had been a very serious matter to him. She snuggled closer under the blankets, rubbing her cheek against the hair on his chest.  
  
"You get to tell your brother I'm not going back to England, though."  
  
"No way!" Chris said. "He'll kill me."  
  
She giggled.  
  
"Anyway, I was wondering," he said after a moment.  
  
She looked at him. "What?"  
  
"I was thinking that AquaTech should open an office in London."  
  
Virginia hugged him. "I love you," she said fervently.  
  
Chris grinned. "Even though I'm a fish?"  
  
She gave him a saucy look from those beautiful grey eyes. "I happen to like fish." 


End file.
